Text Size

By:

Robert Brodsky

Acting District Attorney Madeline Singas, a Democrat, is criticizing her GOP rival, Town of Hempstead Supervisor Kate Murray, after the Hempstead Town board authorized raises or appointments for more than 60 employees -- most of whom have contributed to Republican candidates or political clubs.

On Tuesday, the GOP-controlled town board approved salary increases or job appointments -- some of which included no increase in wages -- for 62 town employees, records show.

In total, 48 of those town employees -- or 77 percent -- have contributed a combined $165,000 to Republicans since 2006, according to state Board of Elections data compiled by the Singas campaign and reviewed by Newsday.

The Nassau County Republican Committee was the largest beneficiary of those contributions at nearly $66,000, records show. Murray, the GOP nominee for DA, received more than $37,000; the Town of Hempstead Republican Committee got more than $27,000 and Town Councilman Anthony Santino, the GOP nominee to replace Murray as town supervisor, received more $7,400, according to the data.

A host of other Republican candidates and political clubs received the remaining $27,000, according to Board of Elections records.

"The salary increases and job appointments being doled out to Republican donors are shameful and illustrate clearly the pervasive cronyism endemic to Kate Murray's administration," said Singas campaign manager Isaac Goldberg. "Good-paying jobs should be for hardworking Nassau residents, not just for whoever coughs up the most cash to pad their elected official's political war chest."

Murray campaign spokesman Bill Corbett, Jr. responded that "at a time when fatal heroin overdoses have increased by over 100 percent, Madeline Singas is focused on the appointment of municipal employees who have been hired from civil service lists."

All but three of the raises or appointments went into effect on Wednesday. The rest went into effect July 8, although the vote did not occur for nearly a month later.

Singas is expected to take on former Manhattan prosecutor Michael Scotto in a Democratic primary in September. The winner would take on Murray in November.